Rayning on Me
by Tiffany Rayn
Summary: Special Agent Rayn Watterson has a secret that has haunted her for ten years. Finally tired of living with it she reaches out for the help of the BAU to solve the mystery that has plagued her since she was 18 years old. WARNING INSIDE!
1. Who Am I?

Rayning On Me

By: T.L. Ryan

Summary: Special Agent Rayn Watterson has a secret that has haunted her for ten years. Finally tired of living with it she reaches out for the help of the BAU to solve the mystery that has plagued her since she was 18 years old.

Rating: M+

Pairing: D. Morgan/OFC/S. Reid

Warning: This piece contains a ménage a trios relationship, homoerotic love scenes, crude language, and violence. Viewer discretion is advised.

1: Who Am I?

"The past is a reflection of

the person the future will build

today." ~Unknown

Rayn Watterson had known from a very early age exactly what she wanted to be. Her father was a high powered attorney who worked hard and was known for his amoral behavior. Her mother was a politician on her way to a candidacy for the White House. Honorable Samuel T. Watterson and Senator Coline Watterson expected greatness from her and her twin sister Chloe. So when Rayn, then fifteen, had announced at the families weekly dinner her plans to join the FBI after college - where she hoped to major in Criminal Justice and Psychology - the explosion of temper and hateful words about how she was wasting her life had been both expected and unsurprising.

By that time she had already began to groom herself for her future career. Her choice of classes at St. Christopher Catholic Community School reflected her decision and her teachers were floored by her dedication. It was rare that they got to chance to have a student who _wanted_ to learn like Rayn did. Upon graduation she had entered Eastern Kentucky University where she had excelled and graduated in three years, instead of the customary four. Now she was over halfway through a double doctorate in Criminal Justice and Psychology from the University of Florida.

Her Bachelor's and Master's degrees hung proudly behind her desk in her office at the federal building where she worked in London, Kentucky. But right now none of that seemed to matter.

As Rayn stepped off the elevator and pushed through the glass doors into the bullpen of the Office of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, her heart pounded in her chest and her legs felt like jello. When she had made the trip from Kentucky to Washington, D.C. to meet with SSA Erin Strauss she had not expected to get past the blonde woman. But after one look at the case file Strauss had directed her to the BAU team to present the case. Now she wished she had never asked her boss to pull in a favor for her.

_'Chloe...Chloe needs you to do this.'_ She reminded herself as she glanced around. The office looked almost identical to her own bullpen back home. People rushed around, files were stacked haphazardly on desks, phones rang and were ignored while Agents typed reports or conferred with colleagues. Normal, it all looked so very normal. Sometimes she forgot what that was like.

A dark haired woman dressed in a simple blouse and dark trousers caught her eye and motioned her over. After taking a moment to gather herself she moved across the room with short, purposeful strides. She clinched the file folder she carried tighter to her chest as she neared the other woman. The Agent stood with two men beside a set of stairs that led up to offices.

"Hello," the woman greeted her with a warm smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes but Rayn appreciated the effort. "Can we help you?" The two men watched her in silence, studying her with trained eyes that made her feel like she a bug under a microscope.

"I'm looking for SSA Hotchner or SSA Rossi. I was told downstairs that they were on this floor." She explained and was pleased that her voice didn't shake. It was stupid really, to be scared of these people. She had faced down men with guns completely unarmed and fought hand to hand with ruthless killers. It was yet another mystery to her already impressive list.

"Hotch is up in his office, third door, Rossi just went in about five minutes ago." One of the men answered. His voice was deep and smooth as honey in whiskey. Rayn turned her gaze to focus on him. He was tall, really tall, and dark skinned with a bald head and dark eyes that watched and observed her in the most unnerving way. She quickly looked away and down at the file in her arms.

"Thank you," she muttered as she maneuvered around the group and escaped up the stairs. She didn't run, she refused to let her nerves get the best of her but it was close. As she moved across the blue carpeted floor she felt their eyes on her.

When she reached the door the man hand indicated she gave herself half a second before raising her hand and rapping on the door. A gruff response of "Come in" answered and she reached for the door knob.

_It's now or never_.

SSA Aaron Hotchner turned his gaze up to the door as it opened to reveal a small young woman carrying a folder baring the FBI insignia. She was pretty and obviously nervous. Her dark eyes bounced between him and David Rossi, assessing them. He appreciated the care she took when entering a room.

He took his time looking at her, which wasn't a hardship really. Her hair was dark and pulled back in a tail from a pale, feminine face with light touches of makeup. Her clothes were simple but stylish, a straight black skirt that hit her knees and a matching black blazer. A light pink camisole added color to the outfit and matched her jewelry. Even her close-toed black pumps were serviceable and matched with care to the handbag she hanging from her shoulder. She was a woman who was conscious of her appearance and took care to look professional. She wasn't thin but rather full figured with a lovely dip at her waist. She was female pure and simple and she made no apologies for it.

"Can I help you?" He asked as he stood up from behind his desk. The woman cleared her throat and looked down at her file.

"I certainly hope so." She almost whispered as she stepped forward and after a moment's hesitation handed him the file. She retreated back to the door after he had taken it from her. "My name is Special Agent Rayn Watterson, I'm with the London, Kentucky field office. I've been investigating a string of unsolved murders in a smalltown called Hyden, in the Appalachian Mountains. The case stretches over ten years. I spoke with SSA Strauss and she referred me to you and your team." As she explained Hotchner flipped through the file and skimmed the reports it contained.

"Ten years is a long time to spend killing. What kind of body count are we looking at?" He asked as he sank back down into his chair. He didn't take his eyes off the detailed reports.

"Ten at least. He takes one girl a year in January and keeps her until February 11th when he kills and dumps the bodies in a five mile stretch between the town and the local highway."

"Any witnesses or suspects?" Rossi asked as he observed the young woman. Nervous, yes, but determined to relay the story. She was somehow emotionally involved in this case. That was never a good sign.

"No witnesses, very little forensically, and there is a witness list but no one has ever stood out. The local police tried to work up a profile after the third murder but nothing ever came of it." Rayn brought her hands together in front of her and then pulled them apart only to repeat the process over again. Her foot tapped against the carpet and Rossi could tell she was trying not to pace.

"What do all the victims have in common?" The question drew the girls attention back to Hotch.

"Other than the method in which they died nothing. All of them were kidnapped from different parts of the state, different socioeconomic backgrounds, different schools, religions." She pulled her hands apart one last time and cautiously approached Hotch's desk. "All ten women share so little in common you would almost think there was no way this could be same person but..." She stopped and reached into her handbag, withdrew another folder. "These are crime scene photos, well, photos of the dump sites. We know the girls are killed at a secondary location and transported to the road." Hotchner flipped open the folder and froze. Images of ten young women lying broken in the grass and dirt stared back at him. They all looked...His gaze shot back up to Agent Watterson.

"Rossi, gather the team in the conference room." He looked over to the man he called his best friend and tried to silently convey his concern. "They need to see this."


	2. A Working Relationship

NOTE: Dear reader's, it has been brought to my attention that some of you might not know how to pronounce my OFC's name, which just so happens to be my last name. The correct pronunciation is rain, just like the weather, only with a 'y' instead of an 'i'. Cheers! T.L. Rayn

2: A Working Relationship

"Every substantial grief has 20 shadows

and most of the shadows are of your own making."

~Sydney Smith

"Ten women over the last ten years have all went missing in the state of Kentucky, starting with Chloe Vigara. She was eighteen, recently married to her high school sweetie, disappeared after leaving her job at the local PD's office where she worked as a records clerk in January; her body was discovered the next month on the side of the highway by local police who were canvasing the area after they got an anonymous tip that Chloe was there." Penelope Garcia breezed into the conference room already flipping through the photograph's that had haunted Rayn's dreams for ten years.

Chloe...her sister...her twin, lying beside the road like discarded trash. Her body broken and bruised, naked except for the thin blue hospital gown she had been found wearing and a piece of wire. The team of agents focused on the photograph in the corner of the screen of Chloe at her wedding before turning their attention to Rayn.

"She was my twin sister." She explained quietly before looking down at the file spread out on the table and even though she didn't see it she knew they all shared a look among them. The last four years of her life was right here in these photographs, reports, maps and charts. Every hour she didn't have to devote to something else was devoted here. She knew it was unhealthy, boarding on obsessive, but she had made a promise to her sister that she would find the person responsible for this and they would pay. It was one promise she intended to keep at all costs, even her sanity.

Her gaze moved back up and around the room observing the agents assembled in the room. Derek Morgan, the colored man who had directed her to Hotchner's office, sat directly beside of her to her left. Emily Prentiss, the woman who had motioned her over, was to his left and Aaron Hotchner to hers. David Rossi sat to her right with Dr. Spencer Reid, the other man she had seen upon entering the office, and Ms. Garcia at the head of the table seeming to enjoy her position of power. All of them had made their introductions upon entering the room and she got the sense as soon as they had crossed that threshold and sat down that it was all business. She liked that. It meant work might actually get done and she might actually get at least some of the answers she had waited for.

"The second victim is Holly Calverton, twenty-three, nurse from Albany, Kentucky, last seen by her father after they had dinner to celebrate her birthday, again in January, found on February 11th just like Chloe, three miles from the first dump site in a blue hospital gown, again just like Chloe. Holly had also been raped repeatedly, tortured with what the locals believe was some sort of electrical device, and then strangled with a wire that was left around her neck." Garcia clicked a button on her remote and added new photos to the screen to mix with the ones of Chloe.

The differences between her sister and Holly were obvious. Where her sister was petite and slim, Holly had been tall with curves. She had bright blue eyes instead of the dark brown that Chloe and Rayn had inherited from their father. Holly was also a natural blonde, even though in the photograph her hair had been dyed dark, the same shade as Chloe's.

"The unsub dyed her hair black and added a tattoo to her body. Across her shoulders in an Old English font." Hotch nodded to the tech and she brought the images up on the screen.

"_In nomine patris, et filii, et spiritus sancti._" Morgan read aloud. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It's Latin meaning in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." Dr. Reid offered glancing around at his teammates. "It's often used in starting and ending prayers and services, mostly in the Catholic religion. According to the file Holly was an atheist."

"Chloe and I got the matching tattoos the summer before I left for college. A tribute to our life. We were raised by the Church. It was Chloe's idea. She'd always wanted a tattoo but she didn't want to get one by herself. Her husband didn't believe in altering your body. He was furious when he found out." Rayn said feeling a lump begin to form in her throat as she looked at the pictures and remembered the look of excitement and rebellion on Chloe's face as they had stepped into the tattoo parlor. They had had to go three counties over to find an artist that didn't know their family.

"You said you were raised _by _the Church?" Rossi questioned turning his chair to face her.

"Yes, our parents were always gone so we spent a lot of time with Father O'Mallie, the parish priest. He would let us stay with him at the rectory when our parents traveled and he was over at our house a lot. He was our first real friend. He didn't care that our parents were, well, what they were. He treated us like we were his grandchildren and we treated him like a grandfather. We didn't have any extended family so Father O'Mallie was as close as we got." A smile tickled her lips as she thought about the priest. "After Chloe died he went downhill pretty fast. He had had a stroke the year before and she was helping take care of him. He didn't last through the summer."

"How long had you known the Father?" Morgan asked as he swung his chair around to face her like Rossi. As she shifted her attention from one man to the other she noted that Morgan made her nervous, more so than the rest of the team. But not in a bad way like most men but in a very female way like attraction. She had never had a problem with physical attraction and even enjoyed the attentions of certain _carefully _selected man who were handsome and smart like the agent but now was neither the time nor the place. He was going to help her find her sister's killer.

"Our whole lives. Like I said we didn't have any extended family and Father O'Mallie enjoyed our company. He was in his late forties when we were born." The look Morgan gave made her bustle. It was questioning. "I don't know what you're trying to imply but Father O'Mallie had nothing to do with Chloe's disappearance or death." She stated with a venom in her voice that surprised even her. Rayn usually wasn't mean or hateful, to anyone, but the implication that Father O'Mallie would hurt her sister was outrageous.

"We have to explore all the possibilities." Morgan reasoned. Rayn shook her head.

"Not that one you don't. Besides Father O'Mallie died two months after Chloe. Unless he had a partner, which he didn't because he _wouldn't_ do this, the killings would have stopped when he passed away." She raised her hands and rested them on top of the papers spread out in front of her. She balled her fists and the let them relax wishing she had her blue ducky stress ball.

"What about the other victims?" Emily asked changing the subject.

"That, my lovely, is more of the same. All of them were taken in January, kept for roughly a month, then killed and dumped on February 11th. All raped, tortured, strangled, and found on the road side in blue hospital gowns with wires around their neck." Garcia flipped rapidly through the photographs of the rest of the victims. Picture after picture of dark haired girls with a tattoo that matched the one on her shoulders. She knew all their names, their families, their favorite things, what they had done in the last few hours leading up to their deaths. There was no part of their lives she had not probed into, no dark corners she hadn't delved inside. The only thing she didn't know was who killed them and why.

"What's the significance of February 11th?" Rossi asked, thinking out loud.

"Could be a day special to the unsub. Maybe the day he meet someone or the date he lost something important." Reid picked up and studied a map. He reached up and scratched at the scruff on his chin.

"It's mine and Chloe's birthday." Rayn whispered brining the whole room around to stare at her again. Morgan's eyes fixed on her and she sighed. Emily, Reid, Rossi and Garcia all shared a look. Her gaze stayed fixed on the table and the water ring her glass was leaving there.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Hotchner asked as he closed his file and folded his hands over it. Rayn looked up at the screen and thought. She reflected on the last ten years, the ups and downs, the pure hell it had been. She had to tell them the one detail that she had always been to scared and ashamed to share with anyone before. She didn't have a choice. If she wanted their help they had to know everything.

"He sends me...gifts, things he takes from the victims. Chloe's necklace, Holly's watch, he sent me a pair of shoe's once. They looked new but I checked and the seventh victim, Mallory Costello, had been wearing them when she was taken." There was a collective rustling among the group. They all looked at her with expressions of interest and concern.

"He sends you trophies from his kills? Does he ever contact you any other time of the year?" Rossi leaned forward and reached out to lay his hand over her arm. He didn't miss the flinch at the contact before she settled.

"No, just the gifts...trophies...whatever and a card comes with them once a year on my birthday. Always left outside my bedroom door, always with the same message inside the card. _My gift to you, life eternal, love forever._ It's typed so there's no chance of forensic handwriting comparison." Rayn bowed her head now and left the tears that had been threatening to come fall. It was all so much, too much to take in. She tried to fight the response but lost.

"Do you keep them?" Morgan asked watching as she struggled to regain control of her emotions. Strong with just the slightest traces of vulnerability, Morgan noted and appreciated the combination. She also had a great pair of eyes, expressive and assessing. Attractive.

She brought her gaze back up and looked at him through her tears. There was no pity there, she realized, nothing but a determination to help. She appreciate that more than she could tell him.

"Yes," she said whipping at her checks to dispel the tears. Rossi offered her a box of tissues and she took them with a smile. He gave her arm a gentle squeeze before leaning back. "I have them all at my office in London. I didn't want to lug the boxes here just in case you didn't have the time to come. All the evidence is kept in a locker on site. I spend a lot of hours going over this case when we aren't working on others." The admission brought Reid's head up and he frowned. She didn't see him as she was to busy looking at Derek.

"We would have made the time," Hotch said as he stood up and gathered his papers. "We'll leave in twenty minutes. Agent Watterson you can ride back with us. Is there an airport close to the town?"

"Yeah, there's one about thirty minutes away. We can set up at the old Watterson Estate House near town. I'll call ahead and have all the files and evidence transferred there. It should be waiting for us when we land. I'll inform Sheriff Wilson that I'm bringing you in as well." She stood as well reaching to gather the original documents from her file and put them back in order.

"Why not set up at the police station?" Reid asked as he watched her. Graceful, he noted, despite her fear and anxiety over being here. Long fingers with rounded pink nails and a bracelet with charms hanging from her wrist. Delicate and attractive. Feminine and soft.

Rayn smiled at the young man and shook her head.

"There's no room. The station is in the courthouse, they use a single room there. Trust me the Watterson Estate House is much better and it also offers us the chance to be close to the dump sites as well as a place to stay so we won't have to travel to the next town. Hyden's small, barely a smudge on most maps."

"Oh," Reid replied as he reached behind him for his satchel hanging from the back of his chair.

"Is there enough room at this house?" Emily inquired as the group moved to leave the conference room together.

"Most definitely. The house was built during the Civil War by my great-great-great-great grandfather and it's been added onto by each successive generation. Watterson House has two wings and twenty bedrooms, three formal studies, a library, a huge den, a living room and separate sitting room as well as a kitchen and formal dining room. It also offers an indoor pool and full gym in the basement. Cookie and Buttons will be more than happy to move things around to accommodate us. There are also three out buildings that we can utilize if you would rather not have HQ set up in the house."

Rayn's face changed when she talked about her family home, Morgan noticed. She seemed more than happy to share information about the place and he admitted her enthusiasm made him anxious to see it as well. For a moment Morgan thought he glimpsed the young girl hidden underneath the tough, no-holds-barred FBI agent. Her family home was a source of pride for her, the one thing she had enjoyed from her childhood.

"Is there a wifi connection?" Garcia asked feeling a little sick at the idea of having to use a dial-up connection or, heaven forbid, even being left in D.C. to do her research. No way was she missing the chance to stay in an Estate House!

"Yes," Rayn said looking over at the woman as they crowded into the elevator. "The local data communications company upgraded their system about three years ago and I had Watterson House rewired the day it became available. I spend a lot of time there when I'm not working. Cookie and Buttons enjoy the company and I enjoy the break."

"Who are Cookie and Buttons?" Rossi asked from his position near the back of the elevator.

"Cookie is the head housekeeper and cook and Buttons is her husband and the butler of the estate. They've been with my family since before I can remember, back when my grandfather was still alive. Watterson House employees a total of six full-time staff and three part-time. I've already arranged for them to have a paid leave while we work, they all live or have family in the area so they will be available for questioning if we need them, but Buttons and Cookie come with the territory. They've never lived anywhere other than Watterson House." Her affection for the two was obvious in the way her voice softened when she spoke of them. "They won't get in the way. In fact, they might be able to help understand Chloe's movements in the days leading up to her disappearance. Chloe and Joseph lived in the house after they got married since our parents were gone to D.C. most of the year."

As the elevator chimed and the doors slip open to the underground garage Rayn turned to the group.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate you coming. For ten years I've worked and wondered. It will be nice to finally have some answers, even if I never know who killed Chloe." Her dark brown eyes teared up again and Morgan reached out to pat her shoulder.

"We'll do anything we can to help." The statement received a nod from all the members of the team.

"Wheels up in twenty," Hotchner stated as they all separated.


	3. Hyden Secrets

3: Hyden Secrets

"We are disturbed not by things that happened

but by our opinion of the things that happen."

~Epictetus

_Nothing changes_, Rayn thought as she stared out the tinted windows of the SUV at Main Street. People milled around going in and out of the little shops and restaurants that crowded along the street. Police cars lined up in perfect rows side-by-side in a parking lot waiting for their drivers. The courthouse sat in the middle of the public square, tall and imposing, boasting a statue of Lady Justice above the door. The mayor's office door was left propped open and Mayor Hinderston was sitting out in front on a bench with a group of elderly men watching as the cars passed. The two black official looking SUV's would be the talk of the town before dinner hit tables tonight and by tomorrow morning at breakfast it would be known that the Rayn Watterson was back in town with a team of FBI agents. Local drug dealers and addicts would take special care to not be seen and she hoped that her sister's killer would not leave town.

"It looks like Mayberry." Morgan committed from his position behind the wheel of the car. Rayn grinned and turned her head toward him. She wasn't quite sure how it had happened but she had ended up riding with Morgan, Reid and Rossi from the airport in Hazard. It didn't bother her, being around these men, in fact she had enjoyed Rossi's company on the plan ride here. He had engaged her in a discussion about books and films, their tastes were similar it seemed, and he had agreed to sign her copy of his first book when they reached Watterson House.

She had also been fascinated by the interaction between Morgan and Reid. They flirted with each other but not overtly, it was subtle and if anyone else noticed it they didn't comment. Just slight touches on shoulders or forearms, a ruffle of Reid's overlong hair or an elbow to the ribs before he would tell Morgan to shut up and call him an idiot. She wondered if they even realized they did it or if it was just the way they had always been.

"You should try growing up here. I remember it was hard to keep any secrets and rumors ran rampant. Most people knew what you were going to do before you even thought about it."

"Small towns are infamous for their close connections and intercommunications. In fact, I'm surprised in a community this size no one has come forward claiming to know the unsub or having seen anything." Reid rambled beside her as he turned to look out the window. Rayn was a distraction, he decided, one that he was going to have a hard time ignoring.

"There have been plenty of theories over the last ten years but none that ever panned out." She said frowning. Reid was right. Her hometown was incapable of keeping a secret even if it wanted to. Which meant someone knew and someone was working very hard to hide the truth. That thought didn't settle well with her.

"You said there was a suspect list, right? How was that complied?" The question came from Rossi who was watching the young woman through the rear view mirror. He noticed the change in her after what Reid had said. He could see she was milling over the thought that someone knew the unsub but wasn't coming forward.

"KSP was called in and the homicide detective, Eric Bradley I think, had the county and state police departments poll their resources and search for men with convictions for rape, assault and battery against women, and even murder. They got a list of one hundred and fifty-seven names in a three county radius. They were able to narrow it down to ninety-three because offenders had either moved completely out of the state, died or were incarcerated again. Of those ninety-three about forty-two had alibis for the time of the murders, out of town or at work. The list just ended up being too large and they couldn't tie any of them to the crime so it just kind of stopped." As she explained Morgan turned left onto a side street and Rayn watched as storm clouds began to roll in from the east. Looked like rain was in the forecast. She'd have to remember to have Buttons check the generators just in case.

"Garcia will expand and we'll use some different parameters to narrow down the list. I think it's safe to assume this unsub is very mobile considering that all the victims were taken from different parts of the state. He'd need a vehicle that allowed him to be invisible but large enough to keep a woman for a several hours drive from one side of the state to the other. His base of operations could be anywhere really but I think considering that at least seven of the ten victims are from the five surrounding counties that he's local." Morgan theorized as he drove. His eyes bounced back and forth between the road and Rayn. Reid's comment had bothered her as it should have. No one liked it when something bad happened in their town but it was made so much worst when it was your own family.

"You'll want to turn left up here. Watterson House is at the end of the road." Rayn indicated the turn off and Morgan gave his signal so that Hotch would know to follow them. As they drove down the road the female agent pointed to the various dump sites that lined the road side.

"Only four of the ten victims were dumped on this exact stretch of road. All the others were out on the highway we just turned off of. I can take a couple of you out in the morning and we'll walk the area. It's only about a six mile stretch. He kept them fairly close together." Reid nodded as he turned his head away from the view and observed the young woman sitting beside him. The distinct change in her from the plane to now was fascinating. She was in her own territory here and she was comfortable he noted. It would be good to have someone who was close to the case and knew the area so well. He told himself that was the reason he was so enthusiastic to get to work with her. It had nothing to do with her overly expressive brown eyes or long smooth expanse of leg her skirt showed off. Soft and female, he thought, perfect.

Watterson House was everything Rayn had said it would be and more. The house at the end of the road looked like something straight out of a Civil War era documentary. A wide arched front door opened onto an expansive front porch with white columns running the length, both decorative and functional as they provided the base for the second story terrace. Almost all the windows were opened and white sheer curtains fluttered in the soft fall breeze. An elderly man stood on the porch directing a troop of men and woman carrying boxes into the house from a cluster of seven SUV's parked in the drive. Morgan pulled up into the garage and Rayn barely waited for the car to stop before she was out and up the steps. The group followed closely behind.

"Buttons!" She exclaimed with joy as she launched herself at the old man with gray hair. He turned quickly and caught her, lifting her off her feet with surprising strength. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply hugging her close. A father greeting his child.

"_Ma belle_, it is so good to have you home." He said in a thickly accented tone. British, perfect dictation, Reid logged. "It has been far too long since you graced Watterson House with your presence."

"I know Buttons, I know. I..."

"Buttons! What in the devil are all these people doing traipsing through the house! Oh, if Ms. Rayn gets here before they're gone she's going to die! Look at what they are doing to Mr. Carson's rose bushes." A tall, willow thin darkly skinned woman came racing out of the house. Her blue eyes blazed as she locked her sights on Morgan, who just so happened to be standing near one of the trampled rose bushes. "You there, muscles, get your ass away from them bushes."

"Cookie, be nice." The cold stare of the woman turned soft and affectionate as she turned and spotted the girl she had considered her daughter.

"Ms. Rayn, look at you!" She said pulling the girl into an embrace and snuggling her against her bony frame. The BAU team watched the interaction from the lawn not quite sure what to do. Buttons watched them out of the corner of his eye. A strong capable lot he supposed. The muscular black man and the tall thin white boy eyed Rayn in a way he didn't like but he would take care of that soon enough. The duo of dark haired older men traded looks before turning back to wait to be addressed. Two young women, one tall and dark haired reminded him of the little one Chloe while the shorter, curvy woman with brilliant red hair stuck out like a sore thumb. He liked her instantly. Though Buttons had always been a stickler for rules and procedure, being a military man he had grown used to it, he enjoyed a little rebellion in a woman. His gaze shot back over to Cookie and Rayn.

"Do you intend to tell me why I have over twenty FBI agents traipsing through my house while I'm trying to clean and make dinner for your lot?" Cookie inquired as she draped her arm around Rayn's shoulders and guided the young woman into the house. She wasn't eating again nor was she sleeping, she fought the urge to sigh and scowled her.

"They're here to help me...They're here to help me find out who killed Chloe." The information brought the cook and the butler up short. The couple turned and stared at her. They had been concerned for years about their young charge's mental state after her sister had passed. Had they not known how keen Rayn had been on joining the FBI before Chloe's death they would have assumed that it had been her driving force.

"Dear, it's been ten years. You don't think..." Cookie quickly stopped when Rayn cast a look at her.

"I know he's still out there and I know I can find him. I just need the right help is all." The words were said with such determination that Cookie tabled the argument for now. Not that it ever did any good to try to talk to her about her sister. Rayn was obsessed with the search for the man responsible and until she had answers the cookie/housekeeper knew she'd never rest. It worried her.

"Well, I guess looking can't hurt." She commented as she pulled her into the formal sitting room and shoved her down into a chair. "Now since you're early you can wait here until I get dinner ready."

"We really need to get started on setting up the boards and things." Rayn turned her gaze to Hotch. "Where would you like to set up? I figure the den has just enough space and there isn't a whole lot in there to move around. Penelope you can sit up there as well or there is an office close that you are welcome to use. You'll just have to overlook the animal trophies my father has hanging there."

Garcia wrinkled her nose up.

"I think I'll be good in the den with everyone else." She commented. She might have instantly feel in love with this place but she was _not_ going to spend it surrounded by a bunch of poor defenseless animals that someone had killed and stuffed.

"Would you like to unpack and settle in before you delve into your work?" Buttons offered as they left the sitting room and started down the hall.

"Yeah, that would be great." Rossi said and the butler changed his course leading them to a large staircase.

The team tromped up to the second floor and Buttons turned on his heels point to the left. "The men are welcome to any of the rooms down this corridor." He pointed then to the right. "The woman may take any room down this one. Unless you are married. There are suites on the third floor for married couples." The team exchanged looks and Rayn had to fight not to laugh.

"Thank you Buttons. Why don't you go on down and help Cookie with dinner? I'm sure she would enjoy the company."

"My wife? Enjoy my company? That'll be the day." The comment was said with a smile as the butler descended the stairs. Rayn waited until he was out of earshot before speaking.

"You'll have to excuse them. They are used to certain rules. Buttons is ex-Royal Navy and Cookie was raised on in old plantation house in New Orleans. They haven't quite caught up to the new age yet. You guys are welcome to any room you want on either wing. The third floor has suites but I don't figure there'll be much use for them, unless you would just rather stay there."

"We'll be fine Agent Watterson." Hotchner said as the men went down the left wing and the women the right. She couldn't help but smile.

"You can call me Rayn, Agent Hotchner." She said following the women down and to the right. "If you need me I'll be in the first door on the left."

Reid and Morgan ended up taking the rooms directly beside each other. The view was breathtaking; their terrace connected and overlooked the wide backyard with its formal gardens and pond. A staircase led down from their rooms to the back yard offering privacy for those gentlemen who liked late nights and didn't want to wake the house when they returned. Morgan nearly chuckled at the thought.

"This place is...something." Morgan commented as he and Reid stood together near the railing taking it all in. He tried to imagine growing up here. What had it been like for her? He would bet there had been parties and dinners maybe even a dance or two. The back door opened and he looked down to see Cookie exit and fiddle with the silverware that was laid across the wide, long table set up for their dinner. She pulled lids off the bowls that sat there and Buttons followed her out carrying a tray loaded with three large chickens. The smell floated up to them and it smelled like heaven. She might not be polite but the woman could apparently cook.

"No kidding. It's like something out of a kid's story book. The whole town is." Reid's comment received a nod in acknowledgement.

"It fits her. She didn't show it when she was in our office but she's confident and sophisticated. She's a girl who knows what she wants and is used to running her own life. She might have grown up rich and privileged but she hasn't let that define her. Rayn is sweet and kind. There's something about her eyes..." He trailed off and looked over at Reid. "You saw it too."

The young doctor sighed and bit his lip. Sure he'd seen it. She was everything a young woman should be and then some. Her mind was strong and she was well read. He had overheard her talking to Rossi on the plane ride. Voltaire, Doyle, Dostoevsky, and Thoreau were among her favorites. Rayn had a taste for classical and modern art and music. She enjoyed theatre and film almost equally. He had noticed the change in her after she got comfortable with them and even more when they had touched down in Hazard. A humble queen come home to her castle and her loyal subjects.

"Yeah, I saw it too. What do you think that means?" He worried his lip and pretended to be interested in the gardens outside. He would step back if Morgan asked him too. It would be terribly disappointing but he wouldn't fight with his friend over a girl if they both shared feelings for her. There was no guarantee she would even consider them anyway.

"I don't know Pretty Boy. I guess that depends on us and her. I mean, I'm not going to ask you to back off if you start to develop feelings for her but you should know that I already have." The comment brought Reid's head up and around. He stared into the dark eyes of the older man and felt a tingle rush through him. The quick tingle of lust he felt for the other agent wasn't anything new, in fact he had been feeling that way for a while. Morgan was one hundred percent male and an alpha. It intrigued Reid more than he could say that he had not received a warning to stay away from the chosen mate.

"Really? And what if she chooses me over you?" He asked the question as a tease, a simple flirt. Morgan's eyes darkened and he moved closer to the man. The move was unconscious and it made Reid swallow hard. The light teasing had turned on him yet again. The tension between the two of them rose and became so thick he could almost see it. Pure, uncensored sexual tension bubbled between them. They'd never acted on it, never acknowledge its presence, but there it was.

"I'll give you a run for your money Pretty Boy, don't you worry about that. If she decides you're a better choice it won't be because I lacked trying." The comment was said close to his face. Morgan had shifted until he had Reid's back against the railing and was boxing him in with his arms on either side of him. Quick, hot flash of pleasure rushed through the thinner agents body.

The quick and insistent _knock, knock_ on the door broke the moment and Morgan blinked, quickly stepping back before the door opened the Rossi poked his head into his room.

"Morgan? You in here?" He called as he entered. Morgan kept his eyes on Reid but backed away from him.

"Yeah, out on the terrace with Reid." He called back trying to get himself under control. Damn, it had been a long time since he had felt that overwhelming need to dominate another person like he had just now. Reid made him want things...things he wasn't sure how he felt about.

"Hotch and Rayn are going down to set up the boards. Apparently dinner is ready when we are. We're all going out in about ten minutes." Rossi came through the open French doors and could almost feel the vibrations running through the air. Whatever these two had been discussing before he came in had been intense.

He looked back and forth between the two. They had been acting strange around each other lately. They flirted more and seemed to always find an excuse to be close to one another. He had begun to wander if maybe the two of them had something going on that they were trying to hide. But then there was Rayn. The way the two of them looked at her said lust and lots of it. He had watched them on the plane. The two agents had constantly had eyes on Rayn and each other.

He had some friends who had been the same way. Kyle and Zachariah had danced around their attraction to each other until they meet Kari. The three of them had formed a tirade and lived happily ever after, or as close to it as Rossi had ever seen. Kari had just given birth to their fourth child when he spoke to them last. It wasn't unheard of for an alpha like Derek and a slightly less dominate male to become attached to the same female and form a relationship. In fact, sometimes he wondered if maybe that was the reason that Kyle, Zack and Kari worked so well together. Their dynamic was foreign but they were happy and worked well together.

"Sure Rossi. We'll be down in just a few minutes." Reid said as he stuffed his hands into his tan corduroy pants and rocked back on his heels, his eyes adverted to the ground and his breathing slightly shallow.

He nodded and left.

Morgan and Reid didn't say another word to each other as they went back into their separate bedrooms and closed the doors.

_It had been close_, Reid thought as he stepped into his room and closed the door leaning back against it and willing his erection to deflate, _so very close_.


End file.
